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Saengseon-jeon are delicate pieces of white fish dipped in egg and pan-fried until golden. They are a must on Korean holiday tables, stacked beside other jeon for the whole family to share. A light dusting of almond flour helps the egg cling, keeping the dish keto.
Per serving: 265 calories · 1.6 g net carbs · 27 g protein · 16 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)
What You’ll Need

Ingredients
- 1 pound cod, pollock or flounder fillets cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/3 cup blanched almond flour
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- A few thin slices of red chili and parsley leaves for garnish
- Dipping sauce: 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Pat the fish very dry and slice it about 1/3 inch thick. Season with salt and white pepper and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Pat dry again, then dust each piece lightly in almond flour, shaking off the excess.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.
- Dip each piece of fish into the beaten egg and lay it in the pan. Press a slice of chili or a parsley leaf onto the top of each.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the egg is golden and the fish is cooked through. Add more oil as needed. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
About This Dish
Saengseon means fish, and saengseon-jeon is one of the traditional dishes prepared for Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (Korea’s autumn harvest festival). Families spend hours frying several kinds of jeon together, and the smell of sizzling egg is part of the holiday memory. In many homes, jeon are also placed on the table for charye, the ritual honoring ancestors. Dried pollock and fresh cod are the most common fish used. Leftover jeon are often turned into a spicy stew after the holiday.
Pairs Well With
This recipe is from The Ultimate Korean Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 4: Seafood (Jagalchi Fish Market). See all Korean recipes
